1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a buckle, and more particularly to a buckle, which comprises a plug member, and a socket member attached to a free end of a belt connected to a variety of articles, such as knapsacks, bags, clothes, helmets, etc., so that these members can be detachably engaged to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a buckle has a construction wherein two engaging members, such as a plug member and a socket member, are engaged to each other, allowing easy disengagement. These engaging members are formed of a plastic material so as to provide elasticity to the buckle.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a conventional buckle, which comprises a socket member 100 and a plug member 104.
Referring to FIG. 1, the socket member 100 has a chamber opened at a leading end of the socket member, and a pair of slots 102 defined respectively at opposite sides of the socket member 100 so as to face each other. The plug member 104 has a pair of engaging legs 106, and a guide member 108 straightly extended between the engaging legs 106. Each of the engaging legs 106 is straightly extended at either side of a body of the plug member 104 so as to provide resiliency, and has an engaging portion outwardly protruded from a leading end of the engaging leg 106.
When the plug member 104 is inserted into the chamber from the leading end of the socket member 100, the pair of engaging legs 106 provided at opposite sides of the plug member 104 slides along inner walls of the socket member 100 while being resiliently bent inward within the socket member 100. Then, when the leading ends of the engaging legs 106 are located in the slots 102, the engaging legs 106 are resiliently returned outward, and firmly seated in the socket member 100, thereby allowing the plug member 104 to be engaged to the socket member 100.
In order to disengage the plug member 104 from the socket member 100, the opposite sides of the engaging legs 106 are pressed inward at the same time, and then the engaging legs 106a are retracted from the socket member 100, so that each of the engaging legs 106 is removed from respective slots 102 of the socket member 100, thereby allowing the plug member 104 to be disengaged from the socket member 100.
However, according to the conventional buckle, in order to allow the engaging legs 106 to be stably engaged to the respective slots 102 of the socket member 100, the engaging legs 106 are designed to have a high elastic strength, so that a high engaging force is imparted between the engaging legs 106 and the socket member 100. As a result, the plug member 104 and the socket member 100 can be firmly engaged to each other. However, in order to disengage the plug member 104 from the socket member 100, since a relatively high pressure must be applied to the engaging legs 106, it is not easy to disengage the plug member 104 from the socket member 100.
Furthermore, the conventional buckle has a problem in that foreign matter, such as dirt and the like, can be easily accumulated within the socket member 100 or around the engaging legs 106, causing impediment upon engagement of the socket member 100 and the plug member 104. The conventional buckle also has problems in that, since the leading end of the plug member 104 is opened due to a space defined between each engaging leg 104 and the guide member 100, the plug member 104 can be attached to or captured by external substances upon contact with the substances, causing inconvenience in use, and in that the conventional buckle has a complicated configuration, thereby increasing manufacturing costs thereof.